There are 20 pages about Trails West

Potter Duckpin Bowling Alley
You don’t have to go far out of your way to visit downtown Potter – it’s just a minute’s drive from I-80. Unwind at city parks or at the Reading Garden beside the library downtown.
In one of several restored historic buildings, Potte

East of Kingsley Dam, Keystone is home to a most unique church. Built in 1908, the Little Church of Keystone is the result of cooperation and ingenuity. The town was too small for two churches, so this one was built as a combined Catholic/Protestant church. It has a Catholic altar at one end

Henry is Nebraska’s westernmost town. One mile south, Stateline Island is part of the North Platte National Wildlife Refuge. The 130-acre refuge is a bird watching mecca.
One mile east of Henry is the place where in 1847 Brigham Young called a special prayer circle on behalf of the westbound

Photo by Christopher Amundson
In 1851, 10,000 Plains Indians from 10 tribes met government officials near Horse Creek to form a treaty. Never in recorded history had so many gathered at one spot on the Plains. From the government’s perspective, the treaty’s purpose was to ensure safe

Mitchell is the usual point of departure for travelers bound for the world-renowned Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, 30 miles north of the community on Highway 29.
Hunting, fishing and hiking opportunities abound in this scenic area of varied terrain. Other recreational activities include a m

Photo by Steve and Bobbi Olson
Facts are scarce when it comes to knowing anything about Hiram Scott. Legends abound about the fur trapper who died in 1828 near the bluff that came to bear his name, and historians argue over the real story of his demise. And though Scotts Bluff National

Photo by Alan J. Bartels
Visiting Scottsbluff can be a wildly fun experience. You would expect to find wild animals in the rugged country around Scottsbluff, and you will. Elk, pronghorn, mule deer, bighorn sheep, bobcats and even an occasional mountain lion are seen here. You wouldn’t ex

Photo by Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston
Lake Minatare isn’t so large that it needs a lighthouse. It has one anyway offering an 360-degree lake view. It was built by the Veterans Conservation Corps, a New Deal agency that provided jobs to unemployed veterans. (308) 783-2911. Located seven m

Photo by Jorn Olsen
Visible to wagon trains from several days away, Chimney Rock’s 120-foot spire was unlike anything Oregon Trail pioneers had ever seen. The landmark’s story is told at the Ethel and Christopher J. Abbott Visitor Center at Chimney Rock National Hist

Photo by Christopher Amundson
Courthouse Rock and Jail Rock are prominent in pioneer history and ancient legends. Courthouse Rock got its name because of its blocky shape. Oregon Trail migrants thought it looked like a courthouse; the smaller formation nearby was ther

Photo by Rick Neibel/Nebraska Tourism
Ancient Bluff Ruins is the most extensive bluff formation on the north side of the North Platte River. The buttes were named by Mormon Pioneers who thought they resembled European castles.

Photo by Nebraska Tourism
Summer is the peak season for Western Nebraska tourism, but Oshkosh is also popular during the fall and winter months. Oshkosh is known the world over as the Goose Hunting Capital of Nebraska. Several local hunting outfitters accommodate sportsmen from around the world.

Photo by Stephen R. Jones
Windlass Hill at Ash Hollow State Park carries scars from countless wagons that made the steep descent into the North Platte Valley. Abundant water and trees made it a favorite resting place. The park is 1 1/2 miles southeast of Lewellen on Highway 26. The

Historic Midwest Theater

Historic Midwest Theater
The historic Midwest Theater is a grand, old movie palace of yesteryear in downtown Scottsbluff.
For more information on Scottsbluff, contact Scotts Bluff County Tourism at 800-788-9475 or visit www.VisitScottsBluff.com.

Museum Features Fossils and Stuffed Bird Collection
The museum has the Silverhill Theatre at 501 W. First St., and the Rock School, a century-old stone schoolhouse at 215 W. Avenue G. The museum houses pioneer and Native American artifacts, fossils and a stuffed bird collection of more than 3

Swim and Play Golf in Oshkosh
Other local attractions include the Oshkosh Swimming Pool, 200 E. First St., which offers free swimming in a heated pool; the Oshkosh Country Club, a nine-hole course near the North Platte River, one mile south of town on Highway 27; and the Garden County Museum.&nbs

Enjoy Wildlife at Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Oshkosh also is a point of departure for Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge, located deep in the remote and beautiful Sandhills Lakes country. The 46,000-acre refuge is 30 miles north of Oshkosh and includes 21 shallow and scenic natura

Goose Hunting Capital of Nebraska
Summer is the peak season for Western Nebraska tourism, but Oshkosh is also popular in fall. It’s the Goose Hunting Capital of Nebraska. Several local hunting outfitters accommodate sportsmen from around the world.
For more information, contact the O

Winery Tour and Art Galleries Near Lake McConaughy
Lewellen, at the west end of Lake McConaughy, features The Most Unlikely Place, a 1908 silent movie theater that is now a cafe. The owner roller skates about the maple floor, serving visitors surrounded by high-end art. On that same Main Street y

Special events throughout the year create unforgettable family memories at Western Nebraska’s only zoo. Birthday parties, live music concerts, after hours events and holiday celebrations have visitors, and the zoo’s big cats, roaring loudly with approval. (308) 630-6236.

Late December through the first weekend of March. Water discharged from the Kingsley Hydroplant creates open water on Lake Ogallala, attracting bald eagles. View from the heated facility below the dam. (800) 658-4390.